1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is a process for forming alkyl vanadates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Alkyl vanadates, which are useful as catalysts, can be formed by the reaction of vanadium pentoxide and an alkyl alcohol. A recent patent which describes this type of reaction is U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,074 to R. Haase. In such processes, by-product water is removed to help drive the reaction to completion, for example, by the incorporation of a suitable azeotroping solvent.
The prior art has suggested the use of certain catalysts in the above-described reaction, U.S. Pat. No. 3,652,617 to E. Termin et al. indicates that strongly acidic substances are useful as catalysts, whereas German Offenlegungschrift No. 1,816,386 also indicates the use of acidic substances as catalysts, including sulfuric and hydrochloric acids, phenyl sulfonic acid, and paramethyl sulfonic acid.